


The Devil is in the Descant

by Ash_and_Ember



Series: Behind the Scenes of History [3]
Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Crack, Crowley is behind the minor inconveniences of humanity, Gen, The Arrangement, but with research, gross misuse of my half a music degree, the music history fic absolutely no one asked for, welcome to the gothic revolution bby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:55:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25668565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ash_and_Ember/pseuds/Ash_and_Ember
Summary: At the end of the 12th century, Crowley is in Paris tempting the greatest musicians of the age to greater heights of polyphonic excess. You know, real demonic stuff
Series: Behind the Scenes of History [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1420168
Kudos: 7





	The Devil is in the Descant

The rumor in the cathedral was there was a monk coming to visit. Some member of a Cluniac order, supposedly the local choir leader. Crowley wasn’t surprised. Ever since Leonin and Perotin had started teaching at Notre Dame, musicians and priests had been flocking to Paris to learn from the best. 

Crowley was particularly proud of polyphony. It was such a fine line between trying to glorify god, and indulging in excess. He was… gently nudging people over that line. All in the name of innovation and Her, of course. The day a group of them got drunk and invented motets was the happiest day of Crowley’s life. 

Whistling, he made his way to the building they used for rehearsals and teaching.

“Good morning, Master Crowley,” Perotin called out to him.

Crowley raised a hand in response. “If you’re out in the sunlight, does that mean you finished your new work?”

Perotin fell into step with him. “Yes! I’ve done what not even dear Leonin did, and written four part organum.” Crowley had seen people at orgies looking less excited than Perotin did at that moment. 

“Congratulations! Truly a remarkable feat, my friend.”

Perotin put his arm around Crowley’s shoulder. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Never would have thought of going beyond triplum if you hadn’t been whispering in my ear like the snake in Eden, urging me on.”

Crowley coughed uncomfortably. “Er, well, yes.”

“Think of how glorious this will be when it’s performed. The choir, filling the cathedral… Music to reflect the glory of God above.”

“So you’ll be teaching it to the choir now?”

“Oh, yes. This is just the thing for New Years Mass.”

Crowley raised an eyebrow. “My, how ambitious.”

Perotin had that gleam in his eyes that usually meant a job well done for Crowley. “After organum quadrupla, there is nothing I can’t do.” He paused. “Well, I can’t go meet our visitor right now. New music to teach and all that. Do you mind playing host to him? You already know your part, so you wouldn’t be learning much new at rehearsal today.”

Crowley gave a small bow. It had been a while since he had a go at tempting a priest. “It would be my pleasure.”

“Excellent! He should be up in the balcony. Friendly looking fellow, can’t miss him.”

The demon and the composer parted ways at the doorway. Crowley went up the only slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase, and saw —

“Aziraphale?” he hissed. “What the heaven are you doing here?” 

The angel in question turned around in surprise. “Crowley? How are you in a cloister?”

“They haven’t technically consecrated this island. It still hurts a bit to be sure, but it’s not as bad as if I were to actually walk into the cathedral. I thought you were supposed to be in the Crusades!”

“Um, I’m sure the crusaders are doing fine without me.”

Crowley next to Aziraphale. To anyone looking up, he’d be a perfectly gracious host, welcoming this newcomer to the choir of Notre Dame. “Disobeying direct orders, are we, angel? So am I.” 

Aziraphale shifted uncomfortably. “Er, war doesn’t really agree with me. Weak stomach. Upstairs gets their memos, and I’m still working to further our cause. Were you also supposed to be in the Holy Lands?”

Crowley shook his head. “They wanted me in the royal court. Plenty of political instability to capitalize on right now. But that’s not as fun, and it’s easier to hide in plain sight.” 

“What exactly are you doing here?”

“Revolutionizing church music by encouraging extravagance.” He gestured to Perotin below them who was giving instructions to his choir. “I secured his soul this morning. The Notre Dame style of music is already spreading through western europe. Millions of people will listen to polyphony and not be able to understand the words. Choir boys will have a harder time learning their parts, whichever poor buggers are singing the plainchant are going to be bored out of their minds, and composers will have to write more and more complex music. Already there are people studying music; it will only get more complicated as time goes on. All that low grade frustration will grow exponentially.” 

Aziraphale had an expression of obvious confusion on his face. “You’ve been tempting him? But I’ve been writing him letters for the better part of a year encouraging his more complex music.”

“You’re Ambadus? You wrote him all those letters? I had wanted to meet you actually, you had some good ideas.”

Aziraphale preened at the words of praise. “I have made a study of such things, you know.” 

“Yes. Why? You’ve always preferred theater.”

Aziraphale sighed. “It just hasn’t been the same since the Han dynasty. The monastic order I joined likes having beautiful physical things to match the beauty of the liturgy. I’ve been encouraging people to make great works of art. The Gothic architecture really is something else, isn’t it.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the choir starting to sing. The opening notes filled the room, nearly overwhelming in the sonority. At a cue from Perotin, the three descant parts began moving. It was rough, seeing as it was the first time singing music with this many parts, but it was still impressive. Angel and demon alike sat back in awe as they listened. They couldn’t help but to be swept away in the music. 

“You did good work with him,” Aziraphale whispered to Crowley. “This is a frustrating work of genius.”

“Hey, don’t call me good. That’s your thing.”

“Apologies, my dear… enemy. You were effective in your methods of tempting someone away from the light of the Almighty.”

Crowley sniffed. “That’s better. And I can tell you that this truly is beautiful. It would be a shame if people didn’t hear it. Everyone can do with some beauty in their life.” He very pointedly did not look at Aziraphale. 

“Shall we call this on a draw?”

“Yeah, suppose so.” 

“It seems The Arrangement was for the best. We both put in all this work, and neither of us got a true victory.”

“At least this time there was no lurking around in damp places at night.” Both shuddered at the memory of the time they spent in England during the Roman conquest. 

“The monastery has been a good place to live, even if they do like solitude a bit too much for my taste. I always thought it was better to enjoy art and music with someone.”

“Well, I can’t imagine either of us are needed around here for the rest of the day. What do you say to a bit of lunch and shopping at the market?”

“You know me well enough to know what my answer will be.”

**Author's Note:**

> Firstly, I'd like to apologize to my music history professor. All that effort spent teaching us about medieval music, and how to read neumes, and this is what I do with that knowledge. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPZrMpFnygw   
> ^^^ this is the piece that Perotin composed in the fic. It might be complicated af, but it's super pretty and it's fun to dig into the analysis if you're into that sort of thing


End file.
